The present invention relates to a hammock, especially a baby hammock of the type which may be suspended, for example, from the ceiling, and which is versatile in its use, yet simple in its construction.
Baby hammocks have been manufactured heretofore, whereby three basic hammock types appear to exist. The first hammock type employs hinged metal components forming a frame. Due to the hinges it is possible to fold the hammock into a smaller shape for storage or transportation. The second type of hammock may also be assembled and disassembled and folded into a smaller shape. For this purpose the second type employs a multi-component frame structure of rods and tubular members, whereby the rod ends are inserted into the open ends of the tubular members substantially in a telescoping manner with additional means for locking the frame components into a fixed position relative to each other once the frame is assembled. The third type of hammock minimizes the use of frame components and such frame components, if used, are tied together by pieces or cord or rope or held by rivets or screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,636,190 is considered to be representative of hammocks having a metal frame with foldable hinges. The hammock body is made of fabric and the upwardly open edges of the hammock body have flaps which are foldable around the metal frame components. Snap fasteners are used for securing the flaps to the hammock body once the flaps are folded around the metal frame parts. This type of structure leaves room for improvement because the metal frame is rather expensive and because the hammock body is actually not machine washable even though it can be removed from the metal frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,376,476 is considered to be representative of structures in which the frame components comprise rods and tubular members into which the free ends of the rods are inserted. The rods and tubular members are provided with interlocking elements to avoid an inadvertent separation of a rod from a tubular member. The frame structure in U.S. Pat. No. 1,376,476 is arranged so as to extend out of and away from the hammock body proper so that the child resting in the hammock cannot touch the frame. This known structure is supposed to be foldable, but it is doubtful whether it can be easily assembled and disassembled. Similar considerations apply to all other prior art structures falling into this group.
The third group which avoids using frame members is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 1,237,628. This reference discloses a hammock sewn together in the manner of a bag with a open side and without any stiffening components other than the supporting straps. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,467,890 and 1,225,208 also fall into this group, however, with the exception that stiffening members are used. Such stiffening members do not form an interconnected frame structure.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 595,235 and 962,092 show an approach which minimizes the use of frame components, thus, in U.S. Pat. No. 595,235 four rods are interconnected at the corners by rivets or bolts and two of the rods are hinged intermediate the ends for folding. The suspending ropes are tied to the bars. For this purpose the lower ends of the ropes extend through separate holes in the bars. Thus, these ropes serve merely for the suspension purpose. The structure of U.S. Pat. No. 962,092 is quite similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 595,235 except that the slats or rods are not hinged intermediate the ends. The slats or rods are interconnected at the corners by a piece of rope which is separate from the suspension ropes. The piece of rope which interconnects the slats is made long enough so as to permit a certain hinging movement of the end slats or bars between a hammock suspending position and a non-use position. Here again the suspending ropes serve only for the suspending purpose.